Totally Worth It
by Rae D. Magdon
Summary: Liara wants to conceive the human way, and so she makes a fun purchase from a salarian sex toy company. Unfortunately, the "helpful" fifty-seven page manual isn't very helpful at all... and graduate school didn't prepare her for this. FemShep/Liara


******Pairing:** Liara T'Soni/FemShep

**Spoilers:** Mass Effect 1, 2, 3

**Warning:** Okay, I know one person's kink is another person's squick, so I have NO idea what words/actions/ect might set certain people off. If you read something you don't like (although I think this is pretty vanilla), just cover your ears, close your eyes, and start shouting "lalalalalalala" as loud as you can.

**AN:** KalenCaelli has oh-so-sweetly requested some babymaking. With sex toys. _"It would be very interesting if the... Erm... Toy... Transmitted sensation to the user. Realistically. I also still want to see Liara's reaction the first time Shepard ever uses it." _Also, I have to acknowledge GL Dartt's 'Just Between' series in the Star Trek: Voyager universe. The Wonder Wand 9000 was a huge source of inspiration to me. If anyone thinks of a name for Liara's new sex toy, let me know.

...

**Totally Worth It**

_AKA Liara's Misadventures With Sex Toys_

...

Tali'Zorah blinked at the hologram her Omni-tool was currently displaying. The scaled down, slightly pixilated, frustrated-looking asari was currently fiddling with something, and she did not appear happy. "Liara! I would say I'm glad you called to chat, but you seem upset, so I'm guessing this is business."

Liara heaved an aggravated sigh. "The opposite of business," she confessed. "I have an embarrassing problem and need your tech expertise."

"Really? Interesting. You have my attention. Quarians love gossip."

The normally unflappable asari paused, shifting uncomfortably in miniature above Tali's wrist. "You can't gossip about this. Unless you want me to ask Kasumi for help... and I would rather not deal with her teasing."

Tali snorted. "She's worse than I am. What's your problem? Don't be embarrassed, it can't be as bad as the time I repaired the Normandy SR-1's VI after it got infected with a virus from Joker's porn habit."

"Speaking of the sexual customs of various species..."

"_You_ didn't destroy something with porn, did you?" Tali asked, completely taken by surprise.

"No, of course not. But I did make a recent extranet purchase that I am having some trouble with..." Liara gave her friend a meaningful glance.

It didn't take long for the quarian to put two and two together. "You mean the brilliant Dr. Liara T'Soni can't figure out how to use a sex toy?" Tali tried not to sound too amused. "Scan the little bosh'tet and I'll see if I can help."

"I'm just so frustrated with it," Liara said as she walked to another side of the room she was in and began rummaging through a box. The tiny hologram version of her that was suspended above Tali's Omni-tool shifted to a slightly more awkward angle as she bent over. "It's a salarian model – why do salarians even make things like this? They don't engage in sexual intercourse the way most species do..."

"I hope you don't call it intercourse when you're in the middle of it," Tali mumbled, mostly to herself.

"Shepard refers to it as making lo – oh dear, where did I put that remote? Ah! There we go. As I was saying, Shepard either refers to it as making love, or fucking, depending on the context. Scanning now."

A second hologram popped up next to the one of Liara, obviously a scan of the object in question. It was phallic-shaped, a gunmetal grey color, about ten inches long and three in circumference, but not very impressive looking overall. "Perhaps I should have gone with something less... complicated. The manual is fifty-seven pages long," Liara informed her.

"Fifty-seven pages? For that thing?" Tali blurted out.

"It is a very ingenious device. Watch." The holo of Liara held up a remote control, and began pressing buttons. The color changed, seemingly illuminating the toy from within, and Tali laughed at the bright, fluorescent green shade. "Oh," the asari stammered as she began punching more buttons, perhaps slightly harder than necessary. "That wasn't what I meant to do at all. Here, let me try... oh dear..." The material of the shaft began to ripple and grow in Liara's hand, and she squeaked with surprise. "No! Goddess, I wanted it smaller... not krogan sized!"

"How do you know what krogan genitalia look like, Liara?" Tali couldn't help teasing.

Liara rolled her eyes and didn't bother answering. "You would do well to remember that I am a quarter krogan... sort of... and as such have a short temper. In fact, I am considering throwing this thing out the airlock."

Tali used her fingers to increase the size of the image, and a vertical wall of text appeared next to the gridded, glowing scan. "Nice specs," Tali said as she read through some of the incoming data. "How many credits did this set you back?"

"Too many." Despite the wealth she had accumulated as the Shadow Broker, not to mention the sizeable inheritance left to her by her mother, it was difficult for Liara to get out of the habit of being stingy with her money.

Opening a third window on her Omni-tool, Tali ran a quick extranet search. Fortunately, there was a version of the manual uploaded onto the company extranet site (she steadfastly ignored the explicit pop-ups). "Find the two triangular shaped buttons in the upper right hand corner of the remote, and hit the lower one. They should be placed vertical to each other."

Liara obeyed, but gasped in horror as the toy began vibrating. The more she pressed, the stronger the vibrations became. "I said the upper right hand corner, not the upper left. That's the vibrating function, not the scale feature..."

"I think I figured that one out." Liara finally pressed the correct button this time, and smiled when her purchase followed her instructions, although it continued to buzz in her hand. Once the shaft had shrunk to a much less intimidating six inches, she stopped. "There. Better. Now, how did I change the color before?" Hesitantly, she pressed another button. This time, instead of removing the hideous shade of glowing green, the entire thing began vibrating harder and spinning in a circle. The asari squeaked and almost dropped both it and the remote.

"Some doctor you are," Tali muttered. "Didn't they teach you not to press unfamiliar buttons during graduate school? In fact, isn't that what happened to you on Therum before Shepard rescued you?" The Liara hologram shot her a frosty glare. "Don't touch anything else unless I tell you to."

"But it's... moving..." Liara said, clearly very uncomfortable.

"Press the red button in the middle. It ceases all current functions but won't change the appearance. You have to do that manually."

Gratefully, Liara pressed the red button and was relieved when the toy stopped vibrating. "A useful feature, when you're expecting it."

Tali smirked, and she was surprised to see Liara blush and look away in response. Sometimes, taking calls from Rannoch could be disconcerting. She did not need to wear a mask, and she was still not used to having other people read and respond to her facial expressions. "I assume you want it set to resemble a male human's... you know."

"Yes," Liara confessed. "Thank you, Tali. This – this... it is very important to me."

The quarian suddenly realized that Liara had not made this purchase on a whim, and there was more to the story than she knew. "Since I already have my nose stuck in your personal business, do you want to tell me the rest of what's going on?"

"Well," said Liara, her cheeks still blushing a deep purple beneath her facial markings, "I am hoping that you will get to be an Aunt soon. And..."

"You're pregnant?" Tali blurted out before she could stop herself.

"No, not yet. But when I conceive, I want it to be... special. Human. For Shepard's benefit. She has been very patient and understanding, willing to learn my species' mating rituals, so it seems only fair that I return the favor."

"You want to conceive the way humans do."

"As close as possible, yes."

"Does she know about this?"

Liara shook her head. "No... I mean, she doesn't know about the toy, not having a child," she clarified after seeing Tali's horrified expression. "Of course she's going to know before I – never mind. Anyway, will you help me or not?"

"I'll help you," said Tali, "although I'm sure you could figure this out on your own, given enough time."

Liara's already flushed cheeks deepened to an even more vivid violet. "I didn't want to go to the extranet site," she admitted. "And reading the manual was... awkward. And boring. And maybe I needed a little encouragement from a pushy friend. This is outside my current realm of experience."

"I will never understand you, Liara! You have no problem killing people, controlling the largest information network in the galaxy, and fighting Reapers, but you're too shy to visit an extranet site?"

"You sound like my father," the asari mumbled, unable to meet Tali's eyes. "And I dislike the advertisements. If I wished to view pornography right now, I would find an extranet site devoted solely to that purpose instead of looking at those questionable pop-ups. Perhaps Fornax's keyword-filterable database. Although I suppose pop-ups have their purpose. Advertisers have to make money somehow."

The quarian groaned, cradling her forehead in the palm of her right hand. "So you're making me do your dirty work for you? How considerate. All right," she said, massaging her temples with all three fingers of each hand, "let's figure out how to program this to a preset. I assume you want to expose the sensation-transmitter plate and nodes at the bottom? There should be a green, circular button near the top of the remote..."

. . .

Shoulders slightly slumped, a very tired Commander Shepard climbed up the stairs to the second floor of her home. Home. Sometimes, she still couldn't quite believe that she had a home with Liara. They had bought it outright – money was no object for her now, a far cry from her humble origins on Earth – paying full price even though the real estate agent had attempted to surrender her commission in gratitude to the Great Commander Shepard, Savior of the Universe.

As she approached their bedroom, her sore feet throbbed at the thought of flopping on the bed and resting for a while. Liara had left a message to say she would be in late, and even though the bed would be empty without the warm, comforting presence of her lover, Shepard was looking forward to getting some rest. The door opened automatically with a soft whoosh, and she was surprised to see that the lights were already on, although dimmer than usual.

Her bed – their bed – was also currently occupied by someone. A very naked someone.

"Liara?" Shepard said, her voice breaking slightly. Her fingers flexed, hands itching to reach out and touch...

The asari was currently reclining on her side, one fist propped under her cheek, looking at Shepard with keen interest. She didn't have a stitch of clothing on, revealing the full expanse of her blue skin. Shepard couldn't decide where to look first. Her eyes strained to take in the whole picture, zeroing in on the hard tips of Liara's breasts, trailing down her stomach and pausing at her slightly protruding navel. There was still a dark purple mark slightly to the left of her belly button where Shepard's teeth had gotten a little too rough two nights ago. That same memory caused Shepard to glance at Liara's right inner thigh, which still proudly displayed another set of finger shaped bruises.

Either this was her reward for saving the known universe, or she must have done something really good in a previous life to deserve this, because she couldn't think of any other reason why she had been blessed with such a gorgeous, enchanting creature for a bondmate. Sometimes, she still found it difficult to accept that Liara was interested in her at all. Ironically, she knew that her lover often felt the same way about her.

"Are you going to stare at me all evening, or are you going to come closer?" Liara asked in what was clearly her 'bedroom voice'. Personally, Shepard always thought Liara's voice was a 'bedroom voice', but when she put her mind to it, her words were absolutely irresistible.

The human was quick to obey. She kicked off her shoes and began toeing off her socks as well, hands simultaneously pulling up the hem of her shirt. From her place on the bed, Liara thought about protesting. She enjoyed being the one to undress her bondmate, but her desire to see Shepard completely naked was compelling.

"Mm, how long have you been waiting for me like this?" Shepard asked, undoing her pants as she climbed onto the mattress of their king sized bed. "Hey, ow!" The human flinched as her knee pressed down on something hard, and something else began vibrating and flashing near Liara's breasts.

"Damn it," the asari muttered, a decidedly human phrase that she had adopted from Shepard years ago. "Let's see if I can fix this thing yet again..."

"What thing – Oh God!" Shepard's mouth gaped open, and then snapped shut in astonishment as she saw the strange looking object in her lover's small blue hands. How had she not noticed that sitting on the bed? Liara was distracting, but was she really that distracting? Shepard supposed that she was.

"Um, Liara?"

"It – it doesn't always look like this," the asari stammered as she fiddled with buttons on the remote. This time, instead of being green, it was a garish shade of neon yellow that would glow in the dark if the lights were to go out. The thing was also vibrating, although when Liara hit a button in the middle of the remote, the buzzing stopped. "Well, that's an improvement," she said, more to herself than to Shepard.

The Commander couldn't help it. She burst out laughing.

Liara pursed her lips as Shepard buried her face in the sheets, nearly sobbing as she tried to get a grip on herself. Meanwhile, the asari took the opportunity to try and find the preset button Tali had helped her program. There was another misfire at first, and the shaft compressed to a paltry two inches before she finally found the right combination.

Instantly, the toy reverted to the settings she had selected. Six inches, a pale human flesh tone that most closely matched Shepard's skin, a small, silver metallic plate with tiny electrical nodes surrounding it in a circle near the base, and a short but thick bulb at the end. That part was supposed to go inside of Shepard, mostly for balance and control purposes, and would allow her to use the toy as it was, without a harness to keep it in place.

"Are you quite finished?" Liara asked, a bit more sharply than she had intended. It seemed that despite her careful planning, the smooth seduction she had envisioned was not in the cards for tonight.

"Aw, don't be sad," the human laughed, "I'm sure I'll look great with a neon yellow dick." Shepard couldn't prevent another burst of giggles. Finally, she caught her breath.

"You are teasing me," Liara said, pouting a little.

"Only a bit. You have to admit, though, it was pretty funny." Shepard was relieved to see the corners of Liara's mouth twitch up slightly in a smile. "Anyway, you never showed any interest in sex toys before, so I figured you were comfortable with the way things were between us."

Liara put down the remote and used her newly freed hand to stroke Shepard's bare arm. "I love the way things are between us. Just think of this as an extension..."

"Literally."

"Stop that. I am trying to be serious." She pinched Shepard's thigh in rebuke. Then, determined to get things back on track, she leaned in close to whisper against her lover's ear. "I've sensed you fantasizing about it during our melds." It was gratifying to see Shepard's cheeks flush an interesting shade of pink. "I've felt how badly you want to be inside me. Surrounded by me. Completely embedded..." She paused to tuck an errant lock of hair out of the way and kiss the sensitive spot just behind Shepard's ear. "I want that, too. So much."

Shepard heard a long, low groan, and it took her a moment to realize that it had escaped from her throat. Suddenly, the idea didn't seem so funny anymore. She spared another glance at the toy in Liara's other hand, the one that wasn't tracing light, teasing patterns on her bare leg. "Well, it looks much less ridiculous now." Encouraged, she leaned in to try and capture Liara's lips with her own. However, she was disappointed when her lover's finger halted the descent of her mouth.

"Shepard... there is one other thing..." the asari said hesitantly even as her human lover's hands settled around her hips, stroking the bare skin of her sides and sliding up below her ribs. Somehow, Shepard had managed to climb partially on top of her. "Do you remember the discussions we've been having lately? About... children?"

Suddenly, everything clicked.

"Oh, sweetie, we don't have to do it this way... If you'd just told me..."

"I – I want to. You've been such a wonderful lover to me, Shepard. You were so gentle, so tender with me the first time before Ilos. You made an effort to learn exactly where and how to touch me. Whenever I share a fantasy or desire, you go out of your way to fulfill it. One particular incident with a singularity field and my office desk comes to mind." Both of them shared a heated look, and Liara's fingers clutched tighter around the shaft of the toy she still held in her right hand. The fingers of her left hand had moved from Shepard's lips to gently caress the ball of her shoulder. "You've thought about taking me like this, and – and what would normally happen afterward if I was human. I want our child to be conceived this way. As long as you're ready, I mean..."

Shepard swallowed thickly. "I want this, Liara – I do. The idea is..."

"Exciting. Arousing. A little bit naughty. I know." The asari sat up, finally allowing Shepard to kiss her, but only for a moment. "So let's make a baby the human way. I'm ready to get 'knocked up', as your species puts it."

"Where did you hear that phrase?"

"Lieutenant Commander Williams," Liara said breezily as she wriggled out from underneath Shepard, who was still straddling her, and sat on the edge of the bed. "Now, lie back so I can help you with this."

Shepard glanced at the toy that was still clutched in Liara's tight-knuckled hand. "It can't be that complicated, right?" she said, sounding a little wary.

"You have _no idea_," Liara groaned, deciding not to mention the fact that she had gone to Tali for help. "I think I should put it on you... with our luck so far, you'll probably hit a wrong button and make the whole thing explode."

Poor Shepard's brain was torn in several directions – the cheesy sex joke forming in the back of her mind about the various 'explosions' Liara was likely to cause, and the observation that her lover's breasts were hovering tantalizingly close to her face.

"I think you're the one with a talent for hitting the wrong buttons," the human couldn't resist chipping in. "I believe that's how we first met, actually." Liara decided the best way to silence Shepard's smart mouth was to kiss her, and the asari dropped the toy onto the mattress as both of her hands threaded through her lover's hair. She had always been fascinated with human hair, especially Shepard's, and enjoyed its texture against her fingers. "So, we're really going to do this?" Shepard murmured in between kisses. Liara practically keened when Shepard began sucking on her lower lip. "Make our first daughter?"

"Yes," the asari hissed as Shepard's teeth latched on to the tender spot where her shoulder ran into the long, graceful column of her throat. Liara couldn't prevent her pelvis from grinding down, seeking purchase against Shepard's hip, and smiled when her human lover gasped in response to the wetness coating her skin. She loved the sounds Shepard made, especially when they were a direct result of something she had done. "As you can feel, I really want this."

Shepard felt a fine sheen of sweat break out over her entire body, her heart thudding rapidly with anticipation. A ripple of desire shuddered through her, and she captured Liara's lips in another demanding kiss. They didn't always kiss like this. Sometimes it was a gentle exploration or a soft exchange, but she also knew that Liara liked being ravaged once in a while, and adding a rough flavor to their kisses would help set the mood. She wasn't fully cognizant of when her hands attached themselves to Liara's breasts, but once they were there, Shepard was reluctant to let them go. Everything was happening so fast, but she couldn't help herself, and Liara didn't seem to mind.

When one of Liara's knees brushed against the toy she had discarded, she picked it up, pleased to find that it was still warm to the touch. In theory, it was supposed to adjust to the body temperature of the person using it, but with all the problems she had run in to so far, she hadn't been sure that particular feature would work. Shepard saw what she was reaching for and stretched out a hand to take it. Liara clicked her tongue in a chastising way and sat back on her knees, pulling her body and the toy out of reach. "Please, allow me," she purred, scooting further down toward the foot of the bed and urging Shepard to spread her legs.

"So, Dr.T'Soni, how does that fun little device work?"

"Not always in the manner that I intend for it to work," Liara admitted dryly. "Now..." Shepard's heart nearly shot up into her throat as she watched her lover's slender hand snake between her lean blue thighs. Liara's eyelashes lowered to brush against her cheekbones as she stroked herself, covering her fingers in her own wetness. "Let's see about some lubrication. There's a bottle on the nightstand if we run into trouble, but..." she paused, reaching forward to stroke Shepard's lower lip with the pad of her thumb. Shepard sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, teeth digging in ever so slightly, and she moaned low in her chest as Liara's familiar taste hit her tongue. "I don't think we'll need it..."

"My God, you are too sexy for words," the human groaned as she watched Liara wrap her wet, glistening fingers around the smaller end of the toy, the part that was obviously meant to go inside of her. Still not satisfied, the asari brought her hand back between her legs for another pass until Shepard grabbed her wrist, holding it in place. Slowly but firmly, she guided Liara's fingers between her own legs, and the shadow broker gasped as she felt Shepard's all too obvious reaction to everything they had done so far. "I think I've got it covered."

Impatient to test out her newest purchase, Liara briefly kissed each of Shepard's erect nipples, capturing one of the buds between her teeth as she brought the pony end of the toy down to replace her fingers. Still, she was cautious. Instead of forcing it in, she simply dragged the blunt end between her lover's folds, coating it with even more wetness.

Shepard was pleasantly distracted by the competing dual sensations of Liara's warm lips wrapped around the tip of her breast and the pleasant pressure against her opening. She placed her hand over Liara's, urging the asari to stop teasing her and slide the short, round end inside of her. It took a moment for the widest part to pass through the tight ring of muscle, but once it did, her inner walls clamped down on the protrusion eagerly. "All right, now how do we – oh, God!" Shepard's thigh muscles jumped and she let out a throaty gasp of surprise. Having the shorter end of the toy inside her caused the tiny silver circle and its ring of surrounding dots to press intimately against her. Ideally, the sensation-transmitter plate would send carefully calculated electrical impulses directly through her skin and provide for realistic sensation.

She saw Liara looking at her, one eyebrow arched in a silent question. Shepard wondered if she had tested the device on herself, just to see how it worked. Liara was a scientist, after all. But on the other hand, her normally adventurous lover had a bit of a shy side when it came to sex. It was entirely possible that she had wanted Shepard to try it first. "So?" the asari asked in a low but curious voice, "how is it?"

"I'm not sure," the human answered honestly. "It feels... Aah!" Shepard's eyes nearly rolled back in her head as one soft, small blue hand began stroking idly up and down the length of the toy. She could feel the soft warmth and pressure of Liara's palm as her fingers curled around the shaft, the movement of Liara's thumb as it swiped over the fluted head. It almost felt like there were blood vessels pounding beneath the fake, flesh-toned material. "It really feels like you're holding me in your hand. I can't describe..."

Satisfied that her credits had been well spent, Liara reached for the remote once again, hoping that she would remember the right buttons this time. "I'm going to adjust the settings. We need to find the right sensitivity level." The scientist's tongue darted out to sweep across her lower lip, and she gave Shepard a smoldering look. "That's all right. I do love a good scientific experiment."

"You're going to kill me," Shepard moaned

Liara shifted slightly, moving to straddle her lover's thighs as she held the remote in one hand and Shepard in the other. Carefully, she began moving her fist in a slow up and down motion. It felt torturously good, and if Liara hadn't been sitting on her legs, Shepard might have been tempted to thrust up into Liara's hand. The asari's left thumb skittered over the remote until she found the up arrow she was looking for, without any mishaps this time. "Let's try it a few notches higher."

Gradually, Liara adjusted the settings, accompanying each increase with a stroke of her hand and carefully studying Shepard's reaction. She responded favorably to the first few levels, and even more favorably to Liara's fondling caresses, but eventually she rasped out a ragged, almost pained, "stop! Too much..."

A look of concern flashed across Liara's face, and she pushed the arrow back down a setting. "Better?" she asked.

"Y - yes..." Shepard had difficulty finding her voice. Even though Liara was touching her in a soft, exploratory way, it was also incredibly arousing. The asari's eyes had a familiar light in them, the thrill of discovery. Sometimes, Shepard forgot that Liara was still a maiden, and craved new, exciting experiences. Most of the time, she acted more like a matriarch, but sometimes her youthful enthusiasm shone through.

"I've been doing some research, you know," Liara said lightly, sliding further down on the bed and urging Shepard to sit up against the headboard at the same time. "About the sexual behavior of male-female human pairings, and what they like..." There was no word for 'heterosexual' or 'homosexual' in any of the asari languages, since the concept was completely foreign to them. Her translator had been unable to find a corresponding word.

"Dare I ask..." She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. All the blood in her body seemed to rush between her legs, leaving her lightheaded in the best possible way. "Dare I ask what you discovered?"

"Oh, this and that..." Liara gave her lover a smirk that was positively devious. "Now that I have a test subject, perhaps I can experiment with some of them. One scenario in particular kept coming up over and over again."

"Liara," she panted as the asari bent her head and... Shepard reached out, gently gripping her lover's crest and urging her to tilt her chin back up. "You don't have to do that."

Her bondmate looked surprised. "Why in the universe not?" She tried to lower her head again.

Shepard had no idea how to explain all the gender and power associations that went along with this particular activity, or that some people simply didn't enjoy it. Instead, she settled for a half-truth, "because you'll probably make me come right away."

Liara smiled up at her and pressed a kiss to Shepard's inner thigh. "So? According to my research, this toy won't..." she paused, searching for a word, "contract after orgasm. You can enjoy as many as you want."

This time, Shepard's hand simply stroked the fronds of Liara's crest instead of trying to stop her. She felt the asari shiver, and smiled as she thought about how sensitive her lover's scalp was, but then she completely forgot what she was doing and held on tighter as soft, warm lips wrapped around the head of the toy.

Liara pulled back ever so slightly, releasing the tip with a soft pop and making sure to look up and make eye contact. The asari's nails skimmed over Shepard's thighs as she took the shaft back into her mouth, moaning with approval.

"Oh God, Liara..." The warmth, the heat, the slick tongue moving against the underside of the cock was so pleasurable that it was nearly unbearable, and Liara hadn't taken more than a few inches into her mouth. Obviously not wanting to become overly enthusiastic and choke her first time, Liara made up the difference with her hand, stroking the bottom of the shaft with firm, eager fingers.

Even as she tried to be careful, Shepard couldn't stop herself from clutching at the back of Liara's head. The asari's crest was easy to grip, and the touches actually made Liara's hips squirm and shift below her, as if she was searching for something to grind against. Her own hips rose up involuntarily, pushing just a little bit further into Liara's mouth.

Liara almost smiled when she heard the hitch of Shepard's breath over her head, but she couldn't with her mouth full. Instead, she showed her approval by taking another inch of the shaft, very grateful that they weren't using the turian setting – or, worse, the krogan setting. She wasn't sure the head of that last one would even fit past her lips. Vaguely, she wondered how asari, with their slender hips, managed at all if they took Krogan lovers. This was a much better size, although sometimes it was difficult to predict exactly when Shepard's pelvis would push forward. The human didn't mean to, but she was obviously having trouble controlling the motion of her hips.

Briefly, Liara thought about melding to give herself a better gauge, but decided to hold off. She wanted to get pregnant the human way, after all, and she didn't want to become overeager and map Shepard's DNA too soon. They had already had a few near misses, although Liara was getting better at going just far enough to bring bliss and not anything else.

Further up on the bed, Shepard was transfixed by the sight of Liara's lips wrapped firmly around her, the outline of the shaft pressing slightly against the inside of her cheeks. Shepard nearly sobbed as the warmth and heat receded, and she vaguely wondered if Liara had turned the sensitivity setting back up while she wasn't looking. She watched a purple tongue peek out to flick the tip, and the color reminded her of the velvety folds between Liara's legs, which started out a dark blue before blending into an attractive shade of plum.

That thought put all kinds of other ideas into her brain and she tried to pull Liara's head back up one last time. "If you don't stop, I'm going t- Ooh..." Liara's other hand had found the place where the shorter end of the toy entered her, and was pressing deliciously upwards, stimulating her very female parts as well as the new additions to her anatomy. "I wanna come inside you, sweetheart. Not like... this..."

Liara pressed another kiss to the tip of the cock and smiled up at her bondmate. "You're still a female human underneath this, Shepard. No refractory period. I already told you, it doesn't have to be either or..."

Sighing in surrender, Shepard lightly pressed on the back of Liara's skull to let the asari know she had won her argument. This time, when Liara's lips passed over the fluted head of the toy and slid down its shaft, she didn't hold herself back. It seemed that Liara was determined to get her off this way, whether it was as a matter of scientific curiosity or pride, and since it felt so damn good, she couldn't really complain.

With the last of her reservations gone, it only took a few seconds for Shepard's inner muscles to spasm, clutching tightly around the bulb resting inside of her. She swore she could feel the length of the toy twitching in Liara's mouth and hands as well, and for a moment, she forgot that it wasn't really a part of her. The human didn't even notice the pain when her head had cracked against the wooden headboard.

Finally, Liara released her, easing the still firm shaft out of her mouth and resting her cheek against Shepard's thigh. She looked very pleased with herself, but also a little disappointed, although Shepard couldn't figure out why. "What's wrong?" she asked, her throat lighting up as she forced the words out. Apparently, it hurt a little to talk, and she wondered if she had shouted during her climax.

"It was supposed to... hold on..." Reluctantly leaving the afterglow, Liara reached for the remote again and began pressing buttons. There was a moment when the shaft began to turn orange and grow ridges along its length, and Liara's eyes widened briefly. "No, wait... let me try... back to the preset first." Shepard was relieved, since the sensation of having the toy grow while attached to her was very strange. Not painful, but definitely odd, like someone was poking and prodding at her. She was relieved when Liara returned her new anatomy back to its original appearance.

"What in the galaxy are you doing?" Shepard laughed, amusement overtaking arousal for the moment, although her need still simmered in the pit of her stomach, ready to be called up again as soon as she figured out what her lover was trying to accomplish.

"It was supposed to... expel liquid. At least, that's what it did in the vids."

Shepard decided not to ask Liara anything further about these 'vids', and instead asked the obvious question. "You can make this thing ejaculate?"

Liara gave the human a confused look. "What? My translator didn't catch that last bit." The archaeologist knew quite a bit of English without the translator, but that was one word she hadn't come across.

Shepard frowned, and then instantly realized what had happened. "Your translator probably doesn't have a word for 'ejaculate', Liara. It's a human term for... the expelling of secretions you mentioned."

"Ah, I see. Tali said it was when the blue – no, the red light is on! There we go. Settings enabled."

Unfortunately, the only word Shepard latched on to in that sentence was 'Tali'. "Please tell me you didn't ask Tali for help."

"I didn't ask Tali for help," Liara repeated back dutifully, if not a little sarcastically, but Shepard knew that the asari was lying. She wasn't even trying to conceal it. "I did make her promise not to tell Garrus..."

Shepard groaned. "Oh no, that's the last thing I need... Can we stop talking and start kissing now? I was having a lot of fun until you brought up our friends."

Liara didn't need any more encouragement. Pressing one last kiss to the head of the cock, she sat up and swung her legs over Shepard's hips. The human usually referred to this position as 'fem superior' or 'cowgirl', terms that Liara had never fully understood, since she and Shepard were both female and a cow was apparently some kind of livestock. It was, however, one of Shepard's favorite sexual positions, and she had to admit that this would be useful for what she had in mind.

Shepard pulled her closer and began to roll them over, obviously expecting to be on top. However, she felt her lover's leg muscles tighten around her waist, keeping her in place.

"Stay still, love," Liara murmured, pushing Shepard back until she was reclining against the pillows. The human was slightly surprised. Although she enjoyed the sight of the asari straddling her like this, Shepard knew that Liara preferred to be underneath her, enjoying the comforting weight of her body. "There's time for both."

Shepard propped herself up on her elbows, content simply to watch and let Liara do what she pleased. She wasn't disappointed. Although she had been amused and embarrassed just a few moments ago, it only took one touch of Liara's hands and a few suggestive words in that soft, smooth voice to make her forget. The archaeologist reached down between their warm bodies and wrapped her fingers around the shaft of the toy again, enjoying the realistic way it twitched in her hand as she guided it into place. She took a hitched breath, trembling as she felt the head touch her for the first time.

"Don't rush it," Shepard said with an unsteady voice even as her body screamed to push up, seeking more of Liara's warmth and heat. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. I love you..." And for just a moment, Shepard nearly forgot about everything else as she looked up into Liara's eyes. They flared a deep, swirling black that seemed to go on forever. "Embrace Eternity!"

Shepard hadn't been expecting the meld so soon, but she welcomed the asari into her mind, basking in the familiar mixture of thoughts, feelings, and memories that belonged to Liara. Love, desire, a touch of shyness mixed with excitement. If she thought the sensations coming from the toy had been overwhelming, it didn't even come close to the flood of pure, undiluted _Liara_ that filled and surrounded her.

When the storm of emotions finally began to settle and she started experiencing flashes of the physical realm once more, Shepard realized that the head of her cock was almost completely enveloped by smooth, silky muscle. Her hand gripped Liara's hip, pulling her down with just the slightest amount of pressure. When Liara hit the widest part of the shaft and the traces of pain within the pleasant, tingling stretch became too strong, she immediately knew when to stop. That, she suddenly realized, was why Liara had melded with her so quickly. During the union, their bodies shared sensations, and Shepard wouldn't need a verbal response to know whether her lover was experiencing pleasure or discomfort.

A little frustrated that she hadn't been able to take Shepard all the way inside of her right away, Liara tried to lower herself further, but was stopped by firm hands around her waist. _'Easy. Let me help.'_

Liara braced her weight on her knees, holding herself in place as Shepard slid her hand down to the place where they were joined, grazing her thumb across the hard ridge just above her entrance. Human females and asari were remarkably similar in structure, and although the shape was a little different, curved instead of round, Liara's version of a clitoris was easily comparable to Shepard's.

A few quick swipes across the tip coaxed another flood of wetness from between Liara's legs, and she felt the restrictive ring of muscle that prevented her from settling all the way down begin to relax. It took several moments of slow, deep breathing, but eventually, Liara looked down to see herself pressed directly against Shepard with no space in between. The sight made her inner walls twitch and clamp down on the hardness trapped within her, and Shepard moaned as she felt the response.

"It – it really feels like I'm inside of you," Shepard said with her physical voice, "like you're wrapped around me..." Liara shared the accompanying feelings of astonishment, wonder, curiosity, and arousal across the bond.

_'You are, and I am. I think – I believe you can move now, love.' _Slowly, Liara felt Shepard's hips begin to push against her, embedding the toy even deeper and hitting spots inside of her that she hadn't even been aware of. It was different than the human's fingers, not better or worse, but unique. There was more stretch, but less dexterity. She decided that she loved it, and wanted to experience more as soon as possible.

Liara began sliding up along the shaft until only the tip was still inside of her. Then, as she began to ease back down, Shepard thrust up. They rocked in rhythmic counterpoint, moving together, instantly realizing that this was the best pattern to follow. Liara let out a little cry every time their pelvises met, and Shepard enjoyed the sound so much that she couldn't help giving a little extra push with her hips. Shepard's fingers continued rubbing against her, swirling over the firm ridge and making spots of color burst behind her eyes.

And then Shepard was rolling them over, flipping Liara onto her back while they were still joined. Liara wrapped her legs tight around the human's waist, nails leaving crescent-shaped indents in Shepard's shoulders. She concentrated on their bond, strengthening it, wanting her lover to share absolutely everything that she was experiencing. Just as Shepard was within Liara's physical body, the asari pushed deeper into her lover's mind.

The Commander gasped as she tried to sort through the wonderful mess of sensations Liara was feeling, all frayed nerve endings and raw need. The pleasant, burning stretch. The comforting fullness. Love and warmth and anticipation. It was different making love this way, but no less wonderful, and even more special because of what was still to come. Neither of them noticed the pain of Liara's nails biting into the skin of her back or the fresh purple bruises that were already forming above Liara's hipbones, but they experienced both sides of every thrust through the union. Liara felt the purely physical sensation of being penetrated as well as the slightly less powerful mental echo of being wrapped in tight, clinging heat.

Then, as suddenly as always, the fever came. At least, that was Liara's private name for it.

Sometimes it happened in an instant, and other times resisting was a long, drawn-out battle. She could feel her blood pounding, skin slick with sweat, ears ringing. The smell of sex and desire and unfulfilled longing was so strong that her tongue burned. To be honest, Liara was surprised that it had taken this long for the unbearable wanting to start.

And, Goddess, she _wanted._ Badly.

Liara had researched it after the first time, terrified that something was wrong with her, and was relieved to discover that she was not alone. Somewhere between forty and forty five percent of her species experienced it at some point, although it was more common in purebloods – the burning, crazed desire to conceive, to create a new life with a sexual partner during the union. Since asari could only begin a pregnancy by deliberately choosing to do so, evolution had devised a way to make them more receptive to the idea, flooding the brain with a cocktail of intoxicating hormones. It was possible to resist, but the maddening heat was always there, waiting to erupt to the surface. There were even drugs available to dampen the effects, with the closest human analogy being hormonal birth control, but Liara had never used any, feeling that it detracted from the experience. It was a sweet sort of pain to bear.

Normally, when it happened, Liara had two options: protect Shepard from the worst of it, which wasn't always successful, or allow the human to revel in it while she held back. But this time, there was a third option. She didn't need to resist.

Shepard felt it across the meld, because she clutched Liara's waist even tighter, resuming the constant movement of their hips, seeming to reach a little deeper inside with every stroke. _'Will we?'_

_'Yes...'_

_'Want to -'_

_'Together.'_

Neither of them was sure where those thoughts originated, only that they _were_. Liara didn't hesitate. She pressed deeper, throwing her head back in ecstasy as she clung to Shepard's shoulders for dear life. And then she couldn't tell where her own body ended and Shepard's began anymore. All she knew was that they were kissing, mouths fused together, hands clutching desperately, hips rolling frantically against each other. They reached out, folding each other in, bodies entwining, souls brushing, bleeding over until they were one flesh, one being.

She gasped and then gave in, feeling blissful relief as she stopped fighting against the fever, the unbearable ache. She reached out for Shepard across the bond, knowing that they were already close but wanting her closer, drawing from her, taking, pulling her lover so deeply into her soul that everything she was burned itself into her brain. Their first orgasm caught them like a tall, violent wave, crashing over them until they were a mess of shudders and sobs and flexing muscle. In one of the few moments when she was conscious of what was happening, Liara felt the shaft inside of her twitch, filling her with warmth.

She couldn't tell whether it lasted for a few seconds or a year. It felt like forever, but was over too quickly. They lingered over the remnants of the bond, breathing heavily, cheeks hurting because they were both smiling so hard. Shepard didn't need to ask whether they had been successful.

"That felt..."

"I can't describe..."

"It was –"

"I love you," two voices said at once. Both of them stopped trying to talk over each other and laughed.

Liara reached up to brush away the wetness on Shepard's cheeks. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"Happy tears," Shepard assured her. "God, I want to say that was intense, but it would be a huge understatement."

Liara kissed her, and then flinched slightly as she felt the length of the toy shift inside her, inner muscles clenching with sudden aftershocks. Shepard's head fell down to rest on Liara's shoulder, and she buried her face in the asari's warm blue throat. She jogged her hips a few times until the spasms stopped, and then, reluctantly, she began to pull out... "Ow, hey!"

A split second after Shepard's shin moved over the uncomfortable lump of the remote on top of the sheets, Liara screamed so loud that it left her throat raw. Her head fell back onto the pillow and she shut her eyes tight, chewing furiously on her lower lip and alternating breathy moans of 'Oh, Goddess...' and 'please' with Shepard's name. At least, she tried to. The words weren't very clear.

Shepard let out a short, satisfied laugh and looked down at her thrashing lover with a smug grin. Apparently, she had switched on the vibrating function again by mistake. She only got to savor her happy accident for a second before Liara sent both of them spiraling into a short, powerful meld, unable to find any sort of release until they were joined. Shepard had noticed the vibrations as soon as she pressed the button, but they hadn't felt all that intense. Feeling them through Liara was an entirely different matter, and she suddenly understood why the asari had been screaming so loud. She wondered for a moment whether the vibrations were deliberately dampened for the wearer so that all that shaking wouldn't cause any discomfort.

Acting completely on instinct, Shepard somehow managed to give up the tight, clinging warmth that was Liara and hold the head of the toy directly against her sensitive ridge. With the pleasant buzzing exactly where she wanted it, Liara's hips bucked and she grasped desperately for Shepard's hand, forcing two of the human's fingers inside of her to compensate for the fullness she had lost. Since Liara's thoughts were already racing through her head, Shepard had been about to do that herself, but somehow, having her lover do it was even more exciting. It meant she was completely unrestrained, lost in pleasure, and didn't care if she appeared greedy.

"Right there, Goddess, _right there_," Liara whimpered even though she didn't need to, her voice a good octave higher than normal. "Don't – st – don't stop... Aah!"

This time, Shepard was able to watch as both of them came, and her attention was torn between the sight of Liara's wildly jerking hips, bands of muscle stretching tight across her abdomen, and the strange rippling of the shaft between her legs. The 'female' part of her orgasm was familiar, and she enjoyed the pleasurable contractions around the piece of the toy still inside her, but the sudden burst of wetness and release of pressure from the longer end still took her by surprise. She felt Liara's mind reaching for hers, searching for an anchor, and tried to offer comfort as best she could. This meld had been quicker, harsher, more about physical pleasure, but still extremely satisfying.

As Liara tried to catch her breath, her chest rising up and down rapidly as every muscle in her body tingled, Shepard began searching for the answer to a question she had forgotten to ask. Carefully, she ran her fingers through some of the fluid on Liara's lower belly, making the asari shiver and squeak at the unexpected touch. One of Liara's most closely guarded secrets was that she was ticklish. The wetness was clear instead of white, confirming her thoughts, but just to be sure, she slipped her fingers in her mouth, smiling as the familiar taste hit her tongue. Yes, it was definitely all her. The shorter end of the toy still buried inside of her probably had something to do with that.

"Good guess," Liara mumbled as she felt some of Shepard's thoughts across the echoes of the meld. "Did you really think I would want anything that didn't come from you inside of me?"

Strangely pleased by this, although she couldn't articulate why, Shepard leaned down and pressed several kisses just below Liara's navel. "I love you. Passionately. Endlessly. You are going to be the best mom." Liara blushed and reached down to stroke Shepard's hair, trying to ignore the brief stir of arousal in her belly. She really didn't have the energy to go again – at least, not so soon.

"Honestly, I want her to grow up just like her father." The asari paused to think about it. "Well, on second thought, perhaps a little less reckless than you."

"Is it weird that we're talking about her like she's already here, and the kid was just conceived a few minutes ago?"

Liara smiled. "Maybe a little."

Suddenly realizing how stiff her muscles felt, Shepard sat up and stretched, reaching for the remote at the foot of the bed. It wasn't there, and she frowned as she began rummaging under the covers. "Damn it, where did that thing go?" she muttered, supremely annoyed that the toy was still vibrating. Since she couldn't find the remote, she eased the shorter end out from inside of herself and hissed slightly as she felt the small metal circle and its ring of electrical nodes detach. Her clit was a little swollen, redder and more prominent than usual, but she supposed that it didn't look too much worse than when Liara got in a certain possessive mood and sucked on it until Shepard begged her to stop.

"You lost the remote?" Liara asked, her voice slightly hoarse. Her purple lips were well kissed and slightly puffy, and Shepard noticed the start of a large hickey on her lover's neck even though she couldn't specifically remember biting Liara's throat. The asari tried to sit up, but couldn't quite find the strength.

"I think it went under the bed." Shepard swung her feet over the side of the mattress, nearly losing her balance as she attempted to stand too fast. She shot Liara a glare when the asari laughed at her, and bent down to peek underneath the bed frame. Fortunately, the remote hadn't wandered too far, but as she looked down at her prize, she still couldn't tell which button to press. She handed Liara the remote, and the archaeologist sighed and hit the red button in the very center. That stopped the vibrations, and Shepard gratefully flopped down beside the warm blue body that she was desperate to hold. "Hey, it worked the way it was supposed to for once!" she exclaimed in mock surprise, and Liara snorted.

"Surely a miracle," the asari drawled.

As the red fog of lust began to clear from Shepard's brain, she remembered what they had just done. All of her frustration evaporated, and a slow, wide grin spread across her face. She swung one leg over Liara and pinned her wrists to the bed, covering her face in soft kisses until both of them were laughing. "We're going to have a baby..."

Logically, Liara knew that the tiny cell inside her wasn't a baby yet, and it would take several weeks to confirm that everything had settled properly, but that didn't stop her from being excited. "Yes, we are." And somehow, she knew it was true.

. . .

Shepard whimpered and groaned, pulling her pillow out from underneath her head and folding it over her ears. The beeping, which had only begun a few seconds ago but seemed to grow louder with every passing moment, had interrupted her sleep. "Ummgh, make it stop!"

On the other side of the bed, still folded up in a small ball around her own pillow, Liara tried to burrow deeper underneath the sheets. "It's your Omni-tool. Go turn it off."

"You know all my passwords," Shepard grumbled. "If it's really bothering you, than _you_ go turn it off."

Still grumpy from being woken so abruptly, Liara steadfastly ignored the beeping, knowing that Shepard would reach the limits of her patience in a few moments and go turn off the annoying message alert herself. Her gamble paid off. It only took about ten seconds of high, shrill beeping for Shepard to toss off the covers and stumble towards the middle of the room where she had dropped her clothes on her way to the bed. Thinking about the pleasant sight that had been waiting to greet her the previous evening improved her mood considerably.

Shepard picked up the Omni-tool and frowned when she saw who had disturbed her sleep. With a sigh, she headed back to bed and snuggled underneath the covers. Garrus was her best friend, and she trusted him unequivocally, but she doubted he wanted to be flashed. Trying to wipe the smile off her face and look appropriately annoyed, Shepard answered the call. "All right, Vakarian, what do you want?"

The turian looked surprised at the sight of Shepard in bed. Of course, it was still his duty as her friend to tease her mercilessly. "Fun night, Shepard?"

More than a little irritated that Shepard had decided to answer her Omni-tool after all, Liara pulled the sheets over her head and groaned. The human gave the lump beneath the covers a conciliatory pat, feeling slightly guilty for disturbing Liara's sleep a second time, but unable to do anything about it now. Leaving the bed would mean treating Garrus to an unobstructed view.

"You could say that. Why don't you tell me what you want before Liara kills me?"

"I'd pay credits to see that. It's bound to happen one of these days. Anyway, I need to have one of those serious, sappy friendship conversations with you. You know, the kind we both hate."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Tali's been acting really strange lately," the turian admitted. "She keeps trying to get me to go out and buy baby clothes with her. The other day, I caught her browsing the extranet for a traditional asari birthing creche. Is she baby crazy, or am I overreacting? What if she wants to adopt? I'm not ready to be a Dad, Shepard. Besides, the wedding hasn't even happened yet! What if she wants to carry a baby to term herself? Where would she get the rest of the genetic material? How am I supposed to know how to raise a quarian kid? I don't even know the first thing about turian babies. If we did have a turian baby, would she want an egg or a toddler? Or even some snot-nosed teenager? I can't handle teenagers! Spirits, what if she wants more than one? At the same time! What am I supposed to do with a whole clutch of kids?"

Shepard held up the hand that was not currently wearing her Omni-tool, securing the covers beneath her arms. "Whoa, slow down," she laughed, "how did you get from baby clothes and an _asari_ birthing crèche to a whole brood of your own?"

"But I –" Garrus paused, suddenly realizing that she had stressed the word 'asari'. "Oh. Right. So, you and Liara...?"

"A slightly more logical conclusion," Liara said, peeking out from her hiding place. "Good morning, Garrus. Please tell Tali that I appreciated her help the other day, and also _not_ to call either of us before this evening. We're going to be _busy._"

"Right. Busy," Garrus coughed. "Got it. I'll let you two lovebirds go."

Shepard couldn't resist one last parting shot. "I dunno, Garrus, maybe you should try the whole domesticated thing. Kids are cute. I can picture you with a couple babies hanging off your plates and tugging at your mandibles."

"Not any time soon. By the way, Liara, you might want to cover that hickey if you're planning on going anywhere today." The asari frowned and clapped a hand over her neck while her bondmate laughed at her embarrassment. "And Shepard... nice equipment." Garrus winked, pointed at the nightstand, and then deliberately ended the call before either of them had a chance to respond.

Shepard groaned and buried her face in her hand, letting the sheets slip now that Garrus was no longer watching. "Oh God. Embarrassing."

"You shouldn't have answered your Omni-tool in bed, then," Liara scolded, climbing unsteadily out of bed and heading towards the ensuite bathroom. She was curious to see just how bad the hickey on her neck was.

"Aw, don't be like that," Shepard said, her eyes trained on Liara's behind. She didn't like it when her lover left, but she definitely enjoyed watching her walk away.

Obviously feeling the heat of Shepard's eyes on her, Liara looked back over her shoulder and gave the human a sultry look. "I'm going to take a shower. Join me?"

The asari didn't need to ask twice. Shepard hopped out of bed and eagerly started towards the bathroom and her naked wife. "Wait. Bring that with you." She nodded at the nightstand. "It's waterproof."

. . .

"I can't believe it's almost dinner time and you're only just getting dressed," Shepard said, watching Liara thread her arms through her lab coat. "At this point, you might as well just say fuck it and walk around naked for the last few hours of the day."

Liara smiled when she felt warm arms wrap around her waist from behind, and sighed contentedly as she leaned back against Shepard's chest. "You are not very good at hiding your true motivations, Shepard."

"I don't care." Shepard kissed the side of Liara's neck that wasn't already marked and cupped her hands over the asari's abdomen. Liara was warm, even through her clothes. "Have I told you how much I love you lately and what an amazing mom you're going to be?"

"You know, I can't recall. Perhaps you should remind me, just in case."

"Wanna order take out tonight? The batarian place a block over?"

"That sounds perfect. You know, I might have to send you out in the middle of the night for strange food soon."

Shepard grinned. "I'm looking forward to it. I'll make you a deal. You take those clothes back off and wait in bed, and I'll run and get the food. We can watch a vid."

Somehow, Liara doubted they would get around to watching anything, but didn't say so. Instead, she started taking her coat back off. "Fine, you win," she said, giving Shepard's rear a gentle pat and pushing her towards the door. "Now go, I'm hungry."

Once she was alone again and stripped to her underwear, Liara grabbed her Omni-tool and climbed back in bed, deciding to use the next few minutes to check her messages. Working with Feron made it possible for her to take days off once in a while, but Liara tended to obsess when she wasn't controlling everything herself. Fortunately, there were no major alerts, and she moved on to non-priority messages. One tagline in particular caught her interest: '_Please Review Your Recent Purchase From Pandora's Toybox, INC'._

After a moment of hesitation, Liara opened the message and scanned the contents. It was an automated message with a brief rating system and a small box for comments. A tagline below the message said that, if she chose to leave a review, it would appear on their extranet site's message board. Normally, Liara deleted things like this, considering them a waste of time. But perhaps...

At first, Liara remembered the previous night's mishaps. The fifty-seven page manual. So many buttons. She still had no idea what most of them were for.

Then she remembered everything that had happened afterward. She clicked the tenth star, and then stared at the review box. Perhaps she would write a more comprehensive review later (anonymously, of course), but for now, only three words came to mind.

"Totally worth it."


End file.
